Sam Foster Grants Planning Permission For D5

Published on Wed, 11 Apr 2001

Mr Sam Foster MLA, Minister of the Environment, today announced that formal outline planning permission had been granted for the proposed new retail development on land within Belfast Harbour Estate, known as 'D5', at Airport Road West, Belfast.

This decision followed a Court of Appeal judgement on 23 February 2001.

Belfast City Council, Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce and North Down Borough Council judicially reviewed the Department's decision to approve the scheme.

A judicial review judgement in September 2000 quashed the planning permission for a second time. The judgement was challenged in the Court of Appeal.

On 23 February 2001, the Court of Appeal announced that it had decided to uphold the Appeal that planning permission should be granted. The Department was obliged to process the application in light of that judgement.

Belfast City Council, Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce and North Down Borough Council sought further leave to appeal to the House of Lords. The Court of Appeal refused leave. A petition seeking leave to appeal was subsequently submitted directly to the House of Lords.